A video encoder compresses video information so that more information can be sent over a given bandwidth. The compressed signal may then be transmitted to a receiver that decodes or decompresses the signal prior to display.
3D video has become an emerging medium that can offer a richer visual experience than traditional 2D video. Potential applications include free-viewpoint video (FVV), free-viewpoint television (FTV), 3D television (3DTV), IMAX theaters, immersive teleconferences, surveillance, etc. To support these applications, video systems typically capture a scene from different viewpoints, which results in generating several video sequences from different cameras simultaneously.
3D Video Coding (3DVC) refers to a new video compress standard that targets serving a variety of 3D displays. 3DVC is under development by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). At present, one of the branches of 3DVC is built based on the latest conventional video coding standard, High Efficient Video Coding (HEVC), which is planned to be finalized by the end of 2012. The other branch of 3DVC is built based on the H.264/AVC.
The ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) is now undertaking the standardization of 3D Video Coding (3DVC). The new 3DVC standard will likely enable the generation of many high-quality views from a limited amount of input data. For example, a Multiview Video plus Depth (MVD) concept may be used to generate such high-quality views from a limited amount of input data. Further, 3DVC may be utilized for advanced stereoscopic processing functionality and to support auto-stereoscopic display and FTV that allows users to have a 3D visual experience while freely changing their position in front of a 3D display.
The Multiview Video plus Depth (MVD) concept is often used to represent the 3D video content, in which a number of views and associated depth maps are typically coded and multiplexed into a bitstream. Camera parameters of each view are also typically packed into the bitstream for the purpose of view synthesis. One of the views, which are also typically referred to as the base view or the independent view, is typically coded independently of the other views. For the dependent views, video and depth can be predicted from the pictures of other views or previously coded pictures in the same view. According to the specific application, sub-bitstreams can be extracted at the decoder side by discarding non-required bitstream packets.